Poll panel facilitates proxy voting for defence personnel

New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) The Election Commission has made arrangements for proxy voting by defence personnel, Deputy Election Commissioner J.P. Prakash said here Monday. The commission has also conducted a special campaign to enrol the defence personnel living with family in the Service areas as a general voter in the area, Prakash told reporters.

“To use the proxy voting facility, the Service voters will have to identify the persons (who is authorised to cast proxy votes) and an intimation should be sent to the returning officer in prescribed format,” he said.

The ink mark would be made on the proxy voter’s second finger, the commission said.

Prakash said polling in inaccessible areas would be covered by video and photographs would also be made to ensure transparent poll process.

The commission would set up mobile polling stations in Jaisalmer and Barmer areas of Rajasthan and in Jharkhand’s Palamu district.

The commission has allowed Home Minister P. Chidambaram to file his reply Tuesday on a complaint about the violation of model code of conduct during his Rajasthan visit. Chidambaram was to file the reply Monday.

The Election Commission would allow the people who do not have voter identity cards to use any of the 13 enlisted documents as an alternate identity proof to cast their vote.

These include passport, driving licence, PAN card, Service Identity Cards issued to its employees by state/central government, public sector undertakings, local bodies or public limited companies with photographs, and passbooks issued by public sector banks/post office and kisan passbooks with photograph (accounts opened up to Feb 2, 2009).